Croatia v Nigeria betting tips, predictions, lineups and odds (World Cup - Group D - 16.6.2018)

Croatia and Nigeria will be aiming to get off to a winning start when they lock horns in their Russia 2018 opening match at the Kaliningrad Stadium on Saturday night. Check out below our Croatia vs Nigeria betting preview with predictions, betting tips, starting lineups, team news, highest odds, betting offers and no deposit free bets on the 2018 FIFA World Cup!

We are giving away a World Cup kit of your choice! Join the competition here!

Croatia v Nigeria betting preview  

Croatia have the best midfield of the tournament

Croatia had a roller-coaster qualifying campaign which saw them finish second to Iceland in their respective group. The Blades dispatched Greece 4-1 on aggregate in a dominated play-off. Prior to that, they won 2-0 in Ukraine in Zlatko Dalic's first game in charge. Since then, they  suffered a 2-0 defeat against Peru and won 1-0 against Mexico back in March. In June's friendlies, they lost 2-0 at the hands of tournament favourites Brazil and beat 2-1 Senegal last week.

Zlatko Dalic a wealth of riches in midfield. Ivan Rakitic will likely play in a defensive midfield position alongside Marcelo Brozovic, meaning Mateo Kovacic and Milan Badelj will have to settle for a place on the bench. Andrej Kramaric impressing in World Cup warm-up matches and should join Ivan Perisic and Luka Modric in the offensive midfield trio behind Mario Mandzukic. Ante Rebic showed fantastic displays in warm-up friendlies and he is a further options upfront.

Nigeria's squad is the youngest in the whole World Cup

Nigeria produced pacey, energetic performances throughout qualifying - winning their group by five points ahead of second placed Zambia - but they have been unable to carry their impressive form over to subsequent international friendlies. In fact, the Super Eagles have prepared poorly for the World Cup. They are winless in four games and lost both of their warm-up matches against England (2-1) and Czech Republic (1-0). Furthermore, they managed to beat Poland 1-0 in an international Friendly last March but lost to Serbia 2-0 a couplay of days later.

Injury forced Moses Simon to pull out of the Super Eagles squad, although Wilfried Ndidi is fit to play despite concerns over his fitness. Nigeria look set to pick 19-year-old Francis Uzoho in goal for their World Cup campaign. Former Watford striker Odion Ighalo has been preferred to Kelechi Iheanacho in recent fixtures, which suggests that the Leicester City man will likely start on the bench.  Alex Iwobi are expected to be handed key midfield roles for the Super Eagles, providing support for Ighalo. In defense, Leon Balogun missed training in the build up and remains a doubt. Troost-Ekong, Abdullahi and Idowu should all feature from the off at the back.

Croatia v Nigeria Starting Lineups   

Croatia (4-2-3-1): Subasic; Vida, Lovren, Vrsaljko, Strinic; Brozovic, Rakitic; Kramaric, Modric, Perisic; Mandzukic

Nigeria (4-5-1): Uzoho; Troost-Ekong, Balogun, Abdullahi, Idowu; Ndidi, Onazi; Iwobi, Mikel, Moses; Ighalo

Croatia v Nigeria Best Odds 

BetAndSkill expert tipsters strive to provide you with the highest odds on all the World Cup fixtures we preview, and below are the best prices on Croatia vs Nigeria match winner market. Wanna get special odds on the World Cup and maximise your profits? Take a look at our today's enhanced odds offers!

• Croatia1.80Bet
• The Draw 3.80Bet
• Nigeria5.50Bet

Croatia v Nigeria Betting Tips  

World Cup group matches generally are very tough to predict but BetAndSkill's experts have deeply analysed all the key stats and info about this clash! Find below our betting tip on Croatia vs Nigeria. Back our recommended bets as singles or combine them courtesy of bookmakers offering the Request a Bet feature! Our experts bring you winning picks on football everyday, and we are delivering the best World Cup Group D betting tips and World Cup predictions throughout the tournament!

• Croatia to win     1.80Bet
• Under 2.5 goals  5.25Bet
• 1-0 Correct Score 6.50Bet
• Croatia Most Corners   1.80Bet

Wanna win £1 million this summer? Try the new Paddy Power prediction game Beat The Drop! Alternatively, you can try to win your £1,000,000 with The Million Pound Bet at BetVictor! Wanna start betting on the FIFA World Cup without make a deposit? We suggest you to visit our no deposit free bets, choose your free bets and combine them with our free picks on Croatia vs Nigeria right now!

Croatia v Nigeria Free Bets & Promotions  

Looking for the best free bets for UK and international punters players. We have selected for you the best offers, promo codes and welcome bonuses from trusted and reputable betting sites! Just click the image below to access the largest collection of free bets! Choose your favourite offer, click the 'Claim' button and enjoy your betting bonus in a few simple steps!